Moving Forward

Thursday, June 18, 2015

I know it has been a while since I have written on my blog. I have had some health issues that have taken a turn for the worse lately. I am still trying to find my way to better health. I had an anaphylactic shock episode late last summer and since then I have had almost daily passing out episodes. Needless to say it has been a rough ride.

Despite my health not being great, I am striving to keep my attitude positive. Some days are better than others, but most days I think I do pretty well with it. I'm trying to put some positive material in front of me daily such as books, blogs, audio, or just spending time in nature. These things seem to help my mind to stay positive even when my body is not doing so well.

In other news I have a set of Bluebirds nesting in a birdhouse I have out back with a camera. It is fascinating to watch them. I even got to witness the female laying the eggs the other day. The camera is awesome and even has night vision. Here is a picture of the female.

"Hope" is her name and she has been through a lot too. I saw her get attacked one day as she was in the nestbox. A sparrow attacked her and hurt her wing. My husband and I took her to a nature center and they rehabbed her and we brought her back and released her back into our yard. She soon met up with her mate and now they are back nesting in the box. It really is a heartwarming story. This little bird gives me some hope that even if things are rough, if you hang on, things can get better. After all we just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

So recently I have noticed some big changes going on with our 11 1/2 year old Corgi, Blaze. He is having problems going up and down stairs, not as attentive as he once was, and is not hearing/seeing as well as when he was younger. It is tearing my heart out thinking of what will inevitably coming around the corner. It seems so cruel that a dogs life is so much shorter than a humans. If you experience the love a dog with all of your heart, then eventually you will be left with a broken heart as well.

Blaze is still pretty healthy, but you never know how long they have left. I have tried to prepare myself for when that day comes, and God help me if we have to make the decision on when his last day will be, but I have come to the conclusion that I don't think I can prepare for it. I think it is one of those things that I must trust God that everything will be okay and that I will be okay. This is very tough for me to do. We don't have kids, so Blaze has been extra spoiled with all of our attention/affection. He soaks up every minute of it. He is also our first and only dog, which makes this even harder.

I have been very emotional the past couple of days as I have witnessed the changes in his behavior. I have realized that I am grieving while he is still here. I need to get a grip and start enjoying each day with him and be grateful for however much time he has left. This little guy has touched my heart in ways that I never could have imagined. Even with all the pain I feel now, and what I will experience when he goes to Rainbow Bridge, I would not change a thing. I will forever be grateful for the love and companionship that Blaze has given me and I he will always carry a special place in my heart. Any advice on how to deal with the aging of our furbabies?

Monday, June 16, 2014

Hello everyone. I just wanted to write today and share some of the pictures of my yard. Everything is starting to look really pretty here. Here is a pic of the Clematis I have planted 3 years ago, it is beautiful this year. They say it takes 3 years for it to really take off. So worth the wait. I am not a patient person at all, but through gardening, I am learning the importance of being patient.

Here are some other pics of the rest of the yard.

We also were blessed by a family of bluebirds that nested right next to the patio. So much fun to watch them take care of the babies. They left the nest last week and I got to watch it happen. So cool. :)

Gardening is a lot of hard work, but the pay off is well worth it for me. I think it is an addiction at this point. :) Looking forward to the pretty flowers that are about to bloom in the wild garden. Do any of you garden? What is your favorite plant?

Friday, May 2, 2014

What a beautiful day outside. We have had rain for a week straight, so it is nice to see the sun shining again. I was out working in the flower garden and noticed that I had so many beautiful birds at my bird feeders. I had Baltimore Orioles eating the grape jelly and oranges I had put out. I had Goldfinches on the thistle feeder and hummingbirds on nectar feeders. I also noticed I had a Bluebird about to nest in one of my birdhouses. Mama and Papa Robin are guarding their nest, the babies should be leaving soon. What an awesome bird day around here. It is not often that all of my favorites come at the same time. Such a special treat when that happens. Do any of you like to watch the birds? I love to watch them and listening to them sing. :)

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

My husband and I have been married 13 years as of yesterday. We have been together for 18, basically our entire adult life. It has been a wild ride in that time. We have had so many good times, but also a lot of tough times. Dealing with chronic illness is very hard on a couple, especially when you are so young. If you throw in the not being able to have kids at the same time, well it is a lot to handle. We have struggled with watching all of our friends that are our age start their families, travel, and do a lot of the things that young couples do. Even today, it is still hard to find out a fried or family member is pregnant. I am so happy for my friend, but it cuts like a knife because I know that is probably not something I will get to experience.

Even with all the bad and hurt feelings from being sick so long, it is nice to have someone by my side. I would hate to have had to endure all of this on my own. I think in a lot of ways it has made us stronger as a couple. We are still finding our way through this journey, but at least we are doing it side by side. Here's to the last 13 years and to many, many more. :)

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

We finally got done with the 50ft flower bed this weekend. I wanted to share some of the pictures that I took. I can't wait for everything to start growing and looking pretty. It was a lot of work, but I think it will be beautiful soon. :)

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Well I think Spring has finally arrived. I could not be happier. I love this time of year. I am a birder so I always enjoy seeing my feathered friends return to the area. I have the Robins, Red Winged Blackbirds already back and the Hummingbirds will be back in the next week or so. I track them on hummingbirds.net. Kind of neat to see them migrate across the country.

Kevin and I are working on a new flower bed that runs down the entire length of our fence. It is a large area, probably 50 feet or so. I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I have only been gardening a few years, so I am learning as I go. I have learned a lot about what works and doesn't for our yard. We have heavy clay soil, so that is tough to work with. The plants seem to love it though, lots of nutrition in it for them. Here are some pics of the bed as it is now. We are going to get the plants this weekend. It is a lot of work, but will be beautiful when it is done. I will post again when it is complete.

I'm just happy that it is finally warming up here in Missouri. Can't wait for the nice weather this Spring. Hope you all are able to get out and enjoy the beautiful blessings of Spring. :)

About Me

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Suzanne and I am a thirty something young woman that has had a wild ride in life so far. I try to learn and grow from what I have gone through and use it for good. I'm on a journey to becoming the best person I can be. No matter what challenges come my way in life, I will grow from them and keep Moving Forward.